GE Partners with Singapore University

GE Water, a business unit of GE Energy, and the National University of Singapore (NUS) announced that they have signed an agreement to establish the NUS-GE Singapore Water Technology Center on the campus of NUS.

Together, GE and NUS are investing $100 million in the NUS-GE Singapore Water Technology Center. The center will house GE scientists and engineers who will develop new solutions for low-energy seawater desalination, water reclamation and more efficient water reuse. This will help expedite fundamental research and industry innovation in water treatment, while also strengthening collaboration with government and industry in Singapore and abroad. The facility and its state-of-the-art equipment are expected to be fully operational by mid-2009.

The NUS-GE Singapore Water Technology Center is the most recent addition in GE’s worldwide technology development efforts. It joins a network of GE’s technology centers located throughout the world, including the China Technology Center in Shanghai.

The center will focus on solving some of the most pertinent water challenges, including alleviating the increasing water stress found in many parts of the world, including regions in China, India and the Middle East. Today, about 1.1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water. By 2025, approximately 2.8 billion people will be living in water scarce areas. Industries are responding to increasing water stress and water costs by increasing the recycling and recovery of water. Municipalities are increasingly using membranes for drinking water production and are finding wastewater to be a resource that can be recovered for industrial uses.

“The National University of Singapore is excited to partner with GE in establishing a research center focused on water science and technology. Leveraging the research efforts of both NUS and GE will enable us to further address one of the world’s most pressing challenges and will enhance the educational reach of the university into all sectors of global water issues,” said Professor Barry Halliwell, deputy president, research and technology, NUS.

“This center is a reflection of our growing partnership with GE and Singapore’s standing as a global hydro hub. We welcome GE’s efforts to continue leveraging the vibrant ecosystem here to commercialize the innovations from the water R&D center, including the use of Singapore to test-bed and demonstrate new-generation water technologies,” said Manohar Khiatani, deputy managing director, Economic Development Board and deputy executive director, Environment & Water Industry Development Council.